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Tribune News Network
Doha
THE fourth annual Qatar British Festival has officially come to a close.
The festival, which lasted two weeks, featured a variety of events for all the family, including public art and architecture, films and musical performances, and showcased the best of British culture.
The festival ran from November 26 to December 8 and was organised by the British Council in partnership with the British Embassy, with Katara Cultural Village as the strategic cultural partner.
The 2017 Qatar British Festival finale, sponsored by HSBC, was held on December 8 at the Abdul Aziz Nasser Theatre, Souq Waqif. Celebrated British conductor-composer James Shearman conducted the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra at the closing event. In the 850-strong audience were HE Ajay Sharma, the British Ambassador to Qatar, Dr Frank Fitzpatrick, director of the British Council Qatar, and HSBC COO Ed Knox.
At this event, 'The Planets' and other works from the UK such as James Bond 007 were performed alongside music from Independence Day, The Bridge on the River Kwai and many more, showcasing the strength of British contribution to film music .The performance concluded with the world premiere of Qatari composer Dana al Fardan's latest work, 'A Paper Heart', written to mark 200 years since the death of British author Jane Austen, further highlighting the way that Britain helps nurture local Qatari talent.
The British Ambassador said:"I am delighted the 2017 Qatar British Festival has lived up to our high expectations. The festival has provided a fantastic platform for Qatar and the UK to forge deeper partnerships in culture, education, design and architecture. It has been encouraging to see so many residents of Qatar getting involved in the superb activities on offer over the last fortnight."
On November 29, winners of the British Council's Unlimited Doha Design Prize, along with special guest speakers Ibrahim Mohamed Jaidah and Mohammed Ali Abdullah, held a lively and fascinating panel discussion in front of over 100 professionals, academics and students, combining Qatari and British architectural perspectives, covering the topics of 'Transformation of The Built Environment in Doha and Its Impact on the Architectural Identity' and 'Everyday Life and Public Space'.
This event was run in partnership with Qatar University's Faculty of Engineering and University College London - Qatar. Following the panel discussion an exhibition designed by the winners was on display at Qatar University's Department of Architecture and Urban Planning.
November 29 also saw the launch of the 5th Ajyal Youth Film Festival, organised by the Doha Film Institute. This one-of-a-kind film event in the region that puts youth at the heart of its narrative was also supported by the British Council as a friend of the festival.
Art and architecture combined at Katara's Corniche, where a maze representing the streets of old Doha was constructed, which included a selection of traditional Qatari games. Thousands of families enjoyed creating their own collages of the existing streets of Doha and were able to design their dream spaces.
The Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum was the venue for a Healthy Lifestyle UK Alumni networking event on December 2 attended by 200 alumni members. There were speeches from HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al Thani, the British Ambassador to Qatar, Dr Sheikha al Anoud al Thani, director of Health Promotion and Non-communicable Diseases at the Ministry of Public Health, Noora al Kuwari, the first health coach in Qatar, and Fahad al Ruwaili, Advanced Nutritionist and Co-founder of"Low Calories", all concentrating on ways to improve lifestyles and make people healthier, a topic that reflects Qatar's five-year health strategy.
The audience was entertained by Mr Q, - Khalifa al Haroon - as the master of ceremony for the evening. Guests got to enjoy and explore the museum through a scavenger hunt and a guided tour.
The Welsh government, in partnership with the British Embassy, Qatar Airways and Cardiff airport, organised a business briefing to highlight opportunities for developing links between Qatar and Wales. These links will be further boosted by the launch of Qatar Airways flights between Doha and Cardiff from May 1, 2018.
Over the course of the festival, 500 people enjoyed British Festival Tea Time at the Shangri-La Hotel and the Doha Singers with the International School of London played to a capacity audience of 600 people for their festival concert 'Jingle All The Way'. British schools participated in the festival too, and Sherborne Qatar performed 'Macbeth'.
Whilst the Qatar British Festival 2017 may have finished, its legacy continues. On November 29, the Smartphone Short Film Festival was launched. Gulf residents and Gulf nationals living in the UK are encouraged to submit and showcase their work and more details can be found at https://www.britishcouncil.com.kw/en/programmes/arts/gulf-smartphone-film-competition. The closing date for entries is January 31, 2018.
The partners of this year's Qatar British Festival were Cultural Village Foundation- Katara (Cultural Partner), Doha Film Institute, Qatar University, UCL Qatar, ILoveQatar.net, along with private sponsors QNB, Hilson Moran and the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, Al Sawari Holding and Al Faisal International for Investment.
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11/12/2017
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